AIMIM Chief Owaisi Reiterates Vision Of Hijab-Clad Woman As India's Prime Minister
New Age Islam News Bureau
14 February2026
· AIMIM chief Owaisi reiterates vision of hijab-clad woman as India’s prime minister
· Egyptian woman faces death threats for filming alleged harasser
· UN Says Child Marriage Occurs Every Three Seconds Worldwide
· Queen urges ‘serious action’ to protect children as online spaces turn toxic
· Afghan Women Excluded From International Exhibition In Kabul
· Meet the Iranian Women Who Stood for Freedom
· Women still pushed to the margins in Pakistan's newsrooms, says report
· Punjab woman to 'legally' stay in Pakistan, Sikh fraternity unhappy
· World Hijab Day commemorated by LajnaImaillah, Ottawa West, Canada
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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AIMIM chief Owaisi reiterates vision of hijab-clad woman as India’s prime minister
Feb 14, 2026
ANI Photo | AIMIM chief Owaisi reiterates vision of hijab-clad woman as India’s prime minister
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AIMIM chief AsaduddinOwaisi defended his statement that a woman wearing a hijab could become the Prime Minister of India, describing it as his “dream” and a reflection of the nation’s inclusivity and pluralism.
In an interview, Owaisi questioned, “What is wrong with it? I am promoting the nation’s inclusivity and pluralism…It is my dream (that a hijab-clad woman become India’s PM)…”
Earlier in the year, during the Maharashtra local body elections campaign in Solapur, he had stated that one day a hijab-clad woman would occupy the Prime Minister’s office. This comment provoked a political dispute in Maharashtra and attracted criticism.
In response, Maharashtra Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis asserted that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation mayor would be “from Mahayuti, will be a Hindu, and a Marathi” while addressing a gathering in Worli during the recent BMC polls campaign.
Regarding the Babri Masjid verdict in Murshidabad, Owaisi reiterated his belief that the Supreme Court of India’s decision was incorrect. He highlighted new disputes emerging in Sambhal, Kashi, Mathura, and Madhya Pradesh, citing former Chief Justice JS Verma’s remark that the Supreme Court is supreme but not infallible.
Owaisi stated, “I still believe that the verdict of the Supreme Court on Babri Masjid was wrong…Now Sambhal, Kashi, Mathura, Madhya Pradesh has also been opened up…Justice J. S. Verma rightly said that the Supreme Court is supreme but not infallible.”
Commenting on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “qayamat” remarks regarding the Babri mosque, Owaisi noted, “At least he had to speak an Urdu word, what would be a Hindi word for ‘qayamat’. Ask him,” emphasising the use of the Urdu term.
Source: thenewsmill.com
https://thenewsmill.com/2026/02/aimim-chief-owaisi-reiterates-vision-of-hijab-clad-woman-as-indias-prime-minister/
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Egyptian woman faces death threats for filming alleged harasser
February 13, 2026
A 2013 UN study found that 99.3 percent of Egyptian women reported experiencing harassment. Above, an anti-sexual harassment fair in Cairo on May 18, 2007. (AFP file photo)
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CAIRO: A young Egyptian woman is facing death threats after posting a video showing the face of a man she says repeatedly harassed her, reviving debate over how victims are treated in the country.
Mariam Shawky, an actress in her twenties, filmed the man aboard a crowded Cairo bus earlier this week, accusing him of stalking and harassing her near her workplace on multiple occasions.
“This time, he followed me on the bus,” Shawky, who has been dubbed “the bus girl” by local media, said in a clip posted on TikTok.
“He kept harassing me,” added the woman, who did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
Hoping other passengers would intervene, Shawky instead found herself isolated. The video shows several men at the back of the bus staring at her coldly as she confronts her alleged harasser.
The man mocks her appearance, calls her “trash,” questions her clothing and moves toward her in what appears to be a threatening manner.
No one steps in to help. One male passenger, holding prayer beads, orders her to sit down and be quiet, while another gently restrains the man but does not defend Shawky.
Death threats
As the video spread across social media, the woman received a brief flurry of support, but it was quickly overwhelmed by a torrent of abuse.
Some high-profile public figures fueled the backlash.
Singer Hassan Shakosh suggested she had provoked the situation by wearing a piercing, saying it was “obvious what she was looking for.”
Online, the comments were more extreme. “I’ll be the first to kill you,” one user wrote. “If you were killed, no one would mourn you,” said another.
The case has revived a longstanding national debate in Egypt over harassment and violence against women.
A 2013 UN study found that 99.3 percent of Egyptian women reported experiencing harassment, with more than 80 percent saying they faced it regularly on public transport.
That same year, widespread protests against sexual violence rocked the Egyptian capital.
In 2014, a law criminalizing street harassment was passed. However, progress since then has been limited. Enforcement remains inconsistent and authorities have never released figures on the number of convictions.
Public concern spiked after previous high-profile incidents, including the 2022 killing of university student Nayera Ashraf, stabbed to death by a man whose advances she had rejected.
The perpetrator was executed, yet at the time “some asked for his release,” said prominent Egyptian feminist activist Nadeen Ashraf, whose social-media campaigning helped spark Egypt’s MeToo movement in 2020.
Denials
In the latest case, the authorities moved to act even though the bus company denied any incident had taken place in a statement later reissued by the Ministry of Transport.
The Interior Ministry said that the man seen in the video had been “identified and arrested” the day after the clip went viral.
Confronted with the footage, he denied both the harassment and ever having met the woman before, according to the ministry.
Local media reported he was later released on bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (around $20), before being detained again over a pre-existing loan case.
His lawyer has called for a psychiatric evaluation of Shawky, accusing her of damaging Egypt’s reputation.
These images tell “the whole world that there are harassers in Egypt and that Egyptian men encourage harassment, defend it and remain silent,” said lawyer Ali Fayez on Facebook.
Ashraf told AFP that the case revealed above all “a systemic and structural problem.”
She said such incidents were “never taken seriously” and that blame was almost always shifted onto women’s appearance.
“If the woman is veiled, they’ll say her clothes are tight. And if her hair is uncovered, they’ll look at her hair. And even if she wears a niqab, they’ll say she’s wearing makeup.”
“There will always be something.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2632895/middle-east
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UN Says Child Marriage Occurs Every Three Seconds Worldwide
By Fidel Rahmati
February 14, 2026
UN warns a girl under eighteen marries every three seconds worldwide, urging action to end child marriage and protect futures today globally.
The United Nations stated on Saturday that child marriage remains widespread, with one girl under 18 marrying somewhere in the world every three seconds.
In a Valentine’s Day message, the organization stressed that child marriage is a human rights violation depriving girls of education, health, and life opportunities.
The UN called for stronger support to global campaigns aimed at ending the practice and protecting girls from early marriage and lifelong consequences.
According to UN figures, one in five girls globally marries before turning 18, with an estimated 640 million women alive today married during childhood.
Child marriage remains common in Afghanistan, where economic hardship and social pressures have long contributed to early marriages in many communities.
The United Nations Population Fund warns that early marriage increases risks of teenage pregnancy, maternal complications, and exposure to domestic and sexual violence.
Observers say ending child marriage requires stronger education access, economic support for families, and international cooperation to protect girls and secure safer futures worldwide.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/un-says-child-marriage-occurs-every-three-seconds-worldwide/
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Queen urges ‘serious action’ to protect children as online spaces turn toxic
14 Feb 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — Her Majesty Raja ZarithSofiah, Queen of Malaysia calls for the safety of children and teenagers in the online space to be given serious attention by both authorities and society, cautioning that it risks becoming a highly toxic environment with potentially lasting harmful effects if left unchecked.
Her Majesty also expressed concern over the growing prevalence of mental health issues that are increasingly showing negative impacts, particularly on children and teenagers.
“I was deeply affected by the death of a female student last year who was stabbed at school and am concerned about the impact of the online environment, which contains various threats to the mental health of society, especially young people.
“As such, serious attention and action must be taken by the authorities and society to protect the younger generation from safety threats in the online space,” Her Majesty said in a statement uploaded on the Facebook page of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar today.
Raja ZarithSofiah made the remarks after granting an audience to a delegation from the Oxford Alumni Malaysia Club at Istana Negara yesterday, during which online safety issues were also discussed.
Recently, the Queen launched the IlhamSeniDiraja programme, a pilot project involving 200 school students in Kuala Lumpur aimed at providing B40 students with constructive artistic avenues to support positive mental health and prevent them from falling into social ills. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/02/14/queen-urges-serious-action-to-protect-children-as-online-spaces-turn-toxic/209170
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Afghan Women Excluded From International Exhibition In Kabul
Feb 14, 2026
Women business owners say the Taliban prevented them from entering the third international construction exhibition in Kabul, which opened on February 12. The executions is scheduled to run until February 16.
Several women told Afghanistan International that they had rented exhibition booths for 6,000 afghanis but were stopped when they arrived to participate. According to them, officials from the Taliban’s morality police were stationed at the entrance and refused to allow women to enter.
One businesswoman said organisers had initially informed them that they could take part, but women were later barred from attending. She said many female handicraft producers rely on such events to sell their products and had now lost that opportunity.
Another woman said she had been denied entry for two consecutive days despite paying the booth rental fee. She added that foreign women were allowed to attend the exhibition, while Afghan women were not.
The exhibition opened on Thursday in the presence of Taliban officials, representatives of domestic companies and delegations from several regional countries, including Iran. Taliban authorities said dozens of local and foreign firms were participating.
The Taliban have not yet commented officially on the reports.
The same exhibition was held in Kabul last year without women’s participation.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women in Afghanistan. Girls have been barred from education beyond grade six and from universities, while many women have lost the right to work in government institutions and non-governmental organisations. The group has also imposed limits on women’s travel without a male guardian and on their presence in public spaces, including parks and some recreational facilities.
Source: afintl.com
https://www.afintl.com/en/202602138995
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Meet the Iranian Women Who Stood for Freedom
Feb 14, 2026
Tensions between Iran and the United States continue to escalate as both countries edge towards more talks — or a new regional war.
U.S. President Donald Trump initially threatened a response to Iran’s bloody crackdown on widespread protests in the country last month, and the United States has since positioned military forces near Iran. Human rights abuses did not seem to be a primary focus of a first round of talks on Feb. 6.
Trump’s hard line on Iran is well established, with his administration’s “accomplishments” including a withdrawal from the 2015 accord that would have seen a drawdown and limiting of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, and last year’s bombing campaign in support of Israel’s 12-day war. At home, he’s grappling with a domestic crisis including growing protests from immigration crackdowns, human rights abuses and the killing of two people in Minneapolis by immigration enforcement officers.
The United States’ rich history of bumbling foreign policy and intervention likely does not fill many Iranians with hope for a breakthrough.
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In these moments of cascading crises, what’s often first forgotten are the people and lives at the centre of it all. Those who live through crushing repression, who risk their lives to make their dissent heard, those who make unimaginable personal sacrifices for a dream they may never see. Those who remind us of that aching heart that beats through us all.
To that end, For the Sun After Long Nights: The Story of Iran’s Women-Led Uprising is an essential read. With clear perspective “from afar and up close” — author and journalist FatemehJamalpour reports from inside Iran, while NiloTabrizy is an investigative journalist based in the United States — the two authors weave together a moving account of how the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement, sparked in large part by the killing of MahsaJinaAmini by Tehran’s morality police, challenged the Islamic republic’s grip on power.
The book, longlisted for the National Book Award for non-fiction, provides a thorough examination of the regime and its “post-totalitarian” organs of control. It shows readers how it’s possible to threaten entrenched power every time we remember and tell the stories of those who have lived differently.
Their work continues today, even if it is constantly undervalued.
After an incredible spree of recent reporting on Iran, Tabrizy lost her job this month in Washington Post layoffs that are reported to affect about one-third of its staff.
‘Pushed and pulled. Unveiled and veiled’
For the Sun After Long Nights deftly covers the protests, the chants, the driving factors of the movement and what came after. But Jamalpour and Tabrizy also take us through other important events in Iran’s history. They show how women played a pivotal role in the passage of power and the march of progress, offering vignettes of personal life at home and in the diaspora. They also furnish the book with poetry, which produces a breadth and context that is useful for understanding Iran and its place in the world.
This book underscores how each new popular movement builds upon the history of the ones that come before it and the grinding, decades-long work that it sometimes takes to shift a needle. It’s a clear-eyed telling of the plight of Iran’s multi-faceted, complicated women who are constantly caught between a rock and a hard place.
“Pushed and pulled. Unveiled and veiled. Their words and movements extracted for political gain,” Tabrizy writes. “Only empowered for brief power grabs. Our place in society left up to the whims of the men who seized control.”
It’s never surprising, but always shocking, what governments will do to hold on to power. How bloody crackdowns can be, like the September 2022 government crackdown that killed at least 95 people in Zahedan.
One thing that’s striking about this book is the close attention to detail to these events afforded to the reader through good journalism.
It makes sense that in 2022, the regime moved to drastically constrain the press through detention, interrogation and expulsion.
And in 2025, it blocked internet and cut phone lines.
A reminder of humanity, and inherent dignity
Like light piercing through darkness, truth shines through somehow. The journalists make use of openly available source material, investigating, verifying and fact checking news moments with eyewitness accounts, footage and satellite imagery, which, in addition to reporting by other journalists, produces a complete, textured picture of Iran’s crisis.
Many memorable scenes emerge alongside this necessary detailing of human rights abuses. We find Tabrizy’s summer crush playing on the streets of Tehran. She watches family friends run through Resident Evil on PlayStation.
Jamalpour’sbabaei, or father, cuts her and her siblings’ hair in a DIY barbershop. She watches The Sword in the Stone at her grandparents’ on the weekend. She shares her memories of Island, an amusement park that had a “huge” chain swing.
In another vignette, Tabrizy’smamani, or grandmother, starts a comedy club in her Tehran apartment with other Iranian seniors. She takes computer classes so she can watch her granddaughter’s Washington Post video reports shortly before she dies. There are sensitive observations of men in a patriarchal society, featuring various acts of sacrifice and care.
These are, in some ways, a celebration of the human spirit. And a clue about what makes people decide to join a movement even in the face of a government that has shown no restraint in killing and repression.
Through the book, Jamalpour is constantly looking over her shoulder and having to let loved ones know she is all right. By reporting on Iran, Tabrizy can never return to Iran, not even to say goodbye, not while the Islamic republic abides.
But these two, and the people covered in the stories told, are an inspiration, and a reminder (tragic that it might be necessary) of the inherent humanity and right to dignity and respect of the people of Iran. And that they are more like you than you might think.
In the words of SepidehRashnu, quoted in the book’s introduction:
“A person who fights knows that revolutions will take a long time, but she does not fail. Standing for freedom is more beautiful than freedom itself. The person who fights is yesterday’s child. She knows that if she doesn’t taste freedom, today’s children will. A person who fights knows that revolution will last, but she will not fail.” [Tyee]
Source: thetyee.ca
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2026/02/13/Meet-Iranian-Women-Stood-Freedom/
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Women still pushed to the margins in Pakistan's newsrooms, says report
Feb 14, 2026
Islamabad [Pakistan] February 14 (ANI): Women remain drastically underrepresented across Pakistan's mainstream media, with their presence largely confined to soft beats, while men continue to dominate decision-making and reporting roles. The findings come from the Pakistan chapter of the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), released by its local partner, Uks Research Centre.
The survey examined news output on May 6 last year. Researchers argued that even though the review covered a single day, it revealed entrenched patterns that have shaped women's visibility for decades, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, volunteers tracked content across nine newspapers, six television stations, a radio outlet run by the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, and four online news portals. The data showed that women formed only 11 per cent of news subjects in traditional media, a figure the report described as evidence of continuing exclusion from coverage of politics, business, crime and sports. Where women did appear, it was largely in entertainment-driven spaces. Nearly two-thirds of subjects in arts and culture reports were women, alongside a stronger presence in health and science. But in hard-news categories, including gender-based violence, representation frequently fell to negligible levels.
Digital outlets, however, presented a comparatively better picture. Women accounted for about a quarter of subjects online and featured more prominently in political, legal and health reporting. In internet coverage of GBV, they were central to every story reviewed. The imbalance extended to newsroom labour. Female bylines in print were rare, and when women did present news, they were overwhelmingly anchors rather than field correspondents, as highlighted by Dawn.
Male journalists, meanwhile, reported the vast majority of stories, even those centred on women. The report also found that women were more likely to be identified by marital or family status, received a small fraction of direct quotations, and were less visible in photographs. Only one per cent of all items challenged gender stereotypes or addressed equality concerns, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
Source: tribuneindia.com
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/female-journalists/women-still-pushed-to-the-margins-in-pakistans-newsrooms-says-report
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Punjab woman to 'legally' stay in Pakistan, Sikh fraternity unhappy
Feb 13, 2026
A 48-year-old Indian Sikh woman, Sarabjeet Kaur, has managed to “legalise” her stay in Pakistan after reportedly marrying a citizen of Sheikhupura, Nasir Hussain. Now known as Noor Hussain, she has invited the ire of the Sikh fraternity on both sides of the border.
Ramesh Singh Arora, Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities Affairs, has strongly condemned her actions, saying she deceitfully secured asylum in Pakistan and hurt Sikh emotions. “I feel helpless as she has managed to procure a ‘legal nod’ to stay with her ‘new’ husband in Pakistan. It was disgraceful on her part to defame the concept of Sikh pilgrimage,” he said.
A viral video shows her sitting in a car with her husband, indicating her wellbeing in Pakistan. In the video, she thanks her lawyer for facilitating her release from the shelter home.
Sarabjeet Kaur claims to have been in a relationship with Nasir Hussain for eight years and wants to spend the rest of her life with him in Pakistan. An 18-second video of their ‘nikah’ surfaced, where she says she’s converting to Islam willingly.
“I love Nasir and have known him for the past nine years. I am currently divorced and willingly marrying him,” she said.
However, an audio recording purportedly of her pleading with her ex-husband to help her return to India has also circulated on X, but its authenticity couldn’t be ascertained.
Arora appealed to Shiromani GurdwaraParbandhak Committee (SGPC) to enhance verification practices for Sikh pilgrims. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan called her actions shameful and said they’re taking stern measures.
Sarabjeet Kaur, from Amanipur village in Kapurthala district, went missing after arriving in Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border with a 1,932-member Sikh jatha led by Akal Takht on November 4, 2025. She reportedly converted to Islam and married Nasir Hussain the next day.
She was arrested by Pakistan security agencies on January 4 after her single-entry pilgrimage visa expired. The couple took a legal course at a Lahore court, which had sent her to the shelter home. Since then, she has been staying in Pakistan without valid authorisation.
Source: tribuneindia.com
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/diaspora/punjab-woman-to-legally-stay-in-pakistan-sikh-fraternity-unhappy/
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World Hijab Day commemorated by LajnaImaillah, Ottawa West, Canada
13 February 2026
LajnaImaillah Ottawa West, Canada, joined women worldwide in commemorating World Hijab Day by hosting an interactive Hijab Awareness Stall at a local community library in Ottawa. The event’s purpose was to create a welcoming space where women could explore the significance of the hijab, ask questions freely and experience hijab firsthand.
Women stopped by after seeing our poster, drawn in by its message and the image of the hijab as a symbol of spiritual strength. They browsed our Quran and Islamic literature display, which offered insights into modesty, spirituality and women’s rights in Islam. Some guests also visited the henna corner, where they received beautiful henna designs on their hands.
At the hijab table, many women tried on a hijab for the very first time. Some posed for photos, others lingered in thoughtful silence and a few chose to take a hijab home as a gesture of solidarity and appreciation. Throughout the day, countless participants expressed their admiration for the courage, meaning and dignity embodied in the practice of wearing the hijab, choosing to wear one themselves in support of Muslim women.
Among them were Lydia and Ivana of Bosnian origin. They wore their hijabs with a shared sense of pride, speaking openly about the emotional connection it evoked for them. Moved by the experience, they planned to keep their hijabs on for the rest of the day. We were also joined by Sarah, a retired librarian and dedicated volunteer. She spent time with us sharing stories from her years of service with immigrants and people of diverse faith backgrounds.
The most personalised and hijab-related questions posed to us were, “Do you wear the hijab at home?”, “Do all Muslim women wear it the same way?” and “Is it cultural or religious?”
We made it clear to all our visitors that the hijab is a Quranic injunction rooted in modesty.
World Hijab Day provided a meaningful opportunity to connect with our neighbours, dispel misconceptions and celebrate the beauty of modesty. The hijab is a simple piece of cloth, yet it carries profound spiritual significance for Muslim women who wear it in obedience to the Holy Quran.
Source: alhakam.org
https://www.alhakam.org/world-hijab-day-lajna-imaillah-ottawa-west-canada/
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